Saturday, October 31, 2009

Philly's Cream

So what if the Phillies dropped a game to the Yankees, it doesn't mean momentum has shifted. It's all part of a clever strategy. No, really.
If you recall, after taking the first game of the NLDS from the Rockies, they lost the second and the same thing happened in the NLCS against the Dodgers and we all know who wound up in goofy swimmer goggles soaking each other with screw-cap champagne. Just a coincidence? Well, think back, way back, to the 2008 World Series. The Phillies won game one, then Tampa Bay evened things up in game two but who went on to take the next three straight in Citizens Bank Park? Yep, you got it, Philadelphia. Just like clockwork.
After brilliant trade-deadline acquisition Cliff Lee completely diffused the Bronx Bombers' vaunted offensive attack with behind-the-back ease, the Phils had to spot them a game just so they wouldn't forfeit the whole darn series.
But enough about baseball – this is supposed to be a music blog. Fortunately, there's much more happening in the City of Brotherly Love right now than Philly Phever with an impressively diverse underground music scene topping the list. Beyond breakout artists like Diplo, Man Man, Dr. Dog, Espers, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Spinto Band, Matt Pond PA and Pattern Is Movement, there are many more ready to pop.


Four of the most promising, namely closet classic rocker Kurt Vile (whose Childish Prodigy album was just released by Matador), bewitching folk-psych chanteuse Meg Baird from the Espers, acoustic picker extraordinaire Jack Rose and charming dirge-delinquents the U.S. Girls, each have a previously unissued track on the swellegant Meet The Philly Elite compilation EP issued on vinyl by the Belgian non-profit organization KRAAK (www.kraak.net). For some reason the Flemish have mad love for anything that smells of Philadelphia. Apparently, the way tickets are selling for the Kurt Vile & the Violators gig at Les Ateliers Claus in Brussels on December 17, even Van Damme might have trouble getting in. 


 If the Meet The Philly Elite (Kraak) EP isn't available at your local vinyl emporium, you
can sample the tracks here:
http://mp3shopcart.com/Album/2727928/VA/Meet_The_Philly_Elite_Vinyl/download-mp3/